Foods with Hidden Powers

Learn the surprising health benefits of three already-good-for-you eats

By Abigail L. Cuffey

We all know that dairy products are packed with calcium and tomatoes are good for your heart, but did you know that each also have cancer-fighting properties? Didn't think so. Read on to discover more hidden benefits of the foods we already cherish for their nourishing, health-boosting ways.

Cheese

Best known for: Calcium to keep your bones strong.Bonus benefit: Its also packed with menaquinones, a type of vitamin K. A recent large-scale European study of more than 24,000 people age 35 to 64 found that a high dietary intake of menaquinones may reduce the risk of developing cancer, possibly by activating genes that kill cancer cells. Other sources of menaquinones: egg yolks, chicken and leafy greens.

Tomato Sauce

Best known for: Lycopene to protect your heart.Bonus benefit: Tomato-based sauces also contain apigenin, a powerful flavonoid (antioxidant). Women with the highest intake of apigenin (also found in celery, parsley and other plant-based foods) were less likely to develop ovarian cancer, according to research from Brigham and Womens Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Salmon

Best known for: Omega-3 fatty acids to lower triglycerides and prevent plaque buildup in your arteries.Bonus benefit: People who ate the largest amounts of this fishor other omega-3rich foods like nutswere 20 percent less likely to have gum disease than those who ate the least, according to a recent Harvard study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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